Wearable Electrolyte Sensor Provides Instant Readings

Electrolytes, such as potassium, calcium, magnesium, and other salts are essential in carrying nerve impulses that tell the heart and other muscles when to contract or relax. A proper balance of them in the human body is required for the normal function of cells and organs. Realizing that laboratory analyses can be expensive, and that patients, athletes, and soldiers would prefer a pain-free, wrist-worn diagnostic device that can analyze, continuously record, and even remedy low electrolyte levels, researchers at Sandia National Laboratories, Albuquerque, NM, have developed and are patenting a prototype model that can analyze various electrolyte levels on the spot, yet fit in a palm or be worn on a wrist. The device, when commercially available, could decrease the time users would spend in emergency rooms, lab testing facilities, or doctors’ offices.